Phoenix officials have nixed Wednesday plans to talk about spending $95,000 for a pair of long-range loudspeakers that police say would help them communicate with crowds.

The Phoenix Police Department previously requested the green light to purchase an upgraded Long Range Acoustic Device, LRAD for short, sometimes referred to colloquially as a "sound cannon" or "sonic weapon."

Those talks were slated for Wednesday morning. But the agenda item was removed from council documents in the lead-up to the meeting, apparently after multiple media reports about the request.

““It is important that we clearly understand how this device will and will not be used.””

Michael Nowakowski, Phoenix City Councilman

A city spokesman said the item was pulled to allow more time to "research information about the device," and the topic would be discussed at a future committee meeting.

It's at least the second time the discussion has stalled.

The Public Safety and Veterans Subcommittee — elected officials who weigh police-related items before a broader Phoenix City Council vote — considered the purchase during its June meeting. They punted the issue because they said they wanted to learn more about the device and some of the controversy related to it.

"It is important that we clearly understand how this device will and will not be used," Councilman Michael Nowakowski, chair of the committee wrote in a statement Tuesday. "The safety of the public and our officers is always our priority."

““This system will allow us to communicate to our community members accurate and timely information."”

Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams at June meeting

Police have also said they struggled to communicate with thousands of protesters who marched earlier this year in the #RedForEd demonstrations.

"This system," Williams said in a June meeting, "will allow us to communicate to our community members accurate and timely information so that they can make decisions and we can direct them to go different places if things get rough downtown or anywhere in our city."

The proposed upgrade is for the LRAD-500X, a vehicle-mounted device that "meets and exceeds" all needs, police officials said.

Specifics about the device

The model Phoenix police are eyeing tops out at about 154 decibels, though the manufacturer says it can be started at a lower level and cranked up at an officer's discretion. It weighs 44 pounds and "is the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army's acoustic hailing device of choice for small vessels and vehicles."

For comparison, a jet engine at 100 feet hits 140 decibels — enough to injure unprotected ears. Hearing loss becomes possible when exposed to prolonged sounds reaching 100 decibels, which is about as loud as a chainsaw or lawnmower.

The LRAD device Phoenix is considering has two main settings: The first acts as a megaphone, and the second emits a pain-inducing, high-pitched siren that has left crowds scrambling for ear plugs or running for cover.

On its website, LRAD Corp. advertises its devices as tools used to warn and notify crowds, establish safety zones, prevent misunderstandings and "alleviate the use of force."

The American Civil Liberties Union, however, has identified LRAD devices as "sonic weapons" capable of causing permanent hearing loss.